Why Roman-born Chef Massimo Falsini Feels at Home in California

The noted chef tells us why sustainability is now at the core of his cuisine—and reveals the only ingredient that he imports.

Chef Massimo Falsini is a man of a thousand recipes – literally. Falsini has binders upon binders of dish creations that he’s been molding throughout his long career in the kitchen, making it almost criminal that he doesn’t have his own cookbook. Luckily for diners at his restaurant Caruso’s, which is set inside the luxury Rosewood Miramar hotel in Montecito, California, Falsini uses his encyclopedic knowledge of Italian cooking to whip up mouthwatering masterpieces on a nightly basis. The Roman-born chef didn’t get to this position overnight, however – and his culinary journey has taken him through multiple countries and lots of famous restaurants and five-star hotels.

Born to a family with a seven-generation-history of making charcuterie, Falsini’s career started at the Roman pasta palace Felice a Testaccio, home to what many consider the best cacio e pepe in the world. From there, the chef went on to helm Harry’s Bar in Rome, where he earned a Michelin star, then later served as executive chef at Solage, staged with Alain Ducasse, and oversaw the opening of Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, where he managed seven restaurants and 250 chefs. Before opening Caruso’s, Falsini was the head chef at the Four Seasons Hualalai in Hawaii.

Now settled in California, Falsini says he finally feels home. “California is like a chef theme park,” he says. “You can get anything here – dairy, produce, seafood. I started using my Mediterranean background to cook with these ingredients and it’s phenomenal. And now, I get to say that I’m cooking California cuisine with a heavy Italian accent.”

It would be easy to assume that Falsini is resting on his laurels. He moves around Caruso’s with a calming presence, likely due to the view, which is nothing but white sand beach and the Pacific Ocean. But Falsini is passionate about his food – and even more about the desire to teach the masses about sustainability through his cooking.

“My approach to my food and my guests has evolved, but number one now is sustainability. I live a plastic free life—I don’t use one-time plastic ever—and I only drive electric cars. I try to live with minimum impact in my life, and I transfer this to the restaurant. I know that if I can make a restaurant sustainable and incredible, then I can make a bigger impact and also make it great for my guests. I’m looking for a balance that’s good for you, good for the environment and nourishing to myself.”

Falsini’s sustainable philosophy can be seen everywhere, mainly in the use of all-local ingredients from the produce and dairy to the flour and seafood. But for the chef, there’s only one minor exception. “I only import one thing, unfortunately: canned tomatoes,” he reveals. “No one in the U.S. can make the San Marzano. Sure, when it’s the right season, I use fresh tomatoes. But when it’s gone, it’s San Marzano.”